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Sleep-related eating disorder versus sleepwalking: a controlled study
Agnès Brion1, Mathilde Flamand, Delphine Oudiette
1Sleep Disorders Unit, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, APHP, France.
Sleep Medicine
|July 31, 2012
Summary
Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) patients share traits with sleepwalkers, including a higher awareness during episodes and a history of eating problems. This suggests SRED may evolve from sleepwalking, particularly in those prone to daytime eating issues.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) presents with overlapping symptoms to sleepwalking and other eating disorders.
- Understanding SRED's distinct clinical profile is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare clinical, sleep, and eating behavior measures in patients with SRED, sleepwalkers, and healthy controls.
- To elucidate the relationship between SRED and sleepwalking.
Main Methods:
- Interviews, sleep, anxiety, depression, and eating behavior scales were administered to 15 SRED patients, 21 sleepwalkers, and 20 controls.
- Night-time videopolysomnography was conducted for all participants.
Main Results:
- SRED patients, predominantly women with adult onset, experienced nightly episodes, insomnia, and more childhood eating problems.
- SRED patients shared sleepwalking features like parasomnia timing, N3 arousals, and daytime sleepiness/anxiety, but with higher awareness during episodes.
- Eating episodes in SRED occurred shortly after awakening from N2 or N3 sleep stages.
Conclusions:
- SRED patients exhibit clinical similarities to sleepwalkers, with heightened awareness and a history of eating disturbances.
- SRED may represent a specialized form of sleepwalking, particularly in individuals vulnerable to daytime eating behavior problems.
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